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St. Paul couple reminisce about Cold War-era road trip through the Ukraine, Russia, Poland, other corners of Eastern Europe

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

It was early 1984, still years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the official end of America’s Cold War with the Soviet Union, and Yuri Andropov was dying.Mark and Constance Kraby, now of St. Paul, with their orange Volkswagen at a dacha outside Moscow, one of many stops during a three-week road trip across Eastern Europe in 1984. (Courtesy of the Krabys)With the leader of the Russian superpower hidden from public view, the United States warned Americans abroad that regime change would be an especially bad time to visit America’s rival. But Mark and Constance Kraby had spent nine months arranging their two-car trip through Eastern Europe with three fellow ex-patriots who, like them, had made fast cash cleaning houses and U.S. military hotels in Munich, Germany.The five Americans felt young enough to be immortal, and just poor enough to insist on their money’s worth from a long-planned hotel-and-camping vacation throughout the U.S.S.R. With their two ri...

Skywatch: Great Summer Triangle will take you places

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

When you’re trying to make the stars your old friends and getting to know your way around the constellations, you need all the help you can get. Asterisms can be excellent tools to get the job done. Asterisms are large and obvious formations of stars that are very easy to find. They are not counted among the official constellations in the night sky, but they’re a heck of a lot easier to find because they’re all made up of bright stars and jump right out at you. They can be either part of a constellation or made up of several constellations.One example of an asterism is the Big Dipper, now hanging by its handle in the northwestern sky. The Dipper makes up the rear end and tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the Latin name for the Big Bear. Its stars are by far the brightest members of Ursa Major and can be seen even in light-polluted skies. The Big Dipper is the first step to seeing the rest of the Big Bear. It also acts as an excellent pointer to other constellat...

Kathleen Collins: Biden’s Ukraine policy needs to be fixed, not ended

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

President Obama’s failed ideas about appeasing Russia and barring lethal military aid to Ukraine have taken hold among Republicans.A recent PEW study found that nearly 50% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe the U.S. is giving Ukraine too much aid. Almost 60% of the same group believe that President Biden’s policy in Ukraine is wrong. Oddly, many of the same Republican leaders who lambasted Obama for being naïve about Russia now oppose “Biden’s war.” The “Ukraine Fatigue Resolution” or President Trump’s isolationism characterize the views of growing numbers.Let’s consider the major Republican critiques of aid to Ukraine.Republicans often argue that Ukraine is not a democracy, and thus doesn’t deserve our support. This outdated view ignores Ukraine’s past 20 years. Since 2004, Ukraine has held free, competitive elections. The 2014 Revolution of Dignity solidified Ukraine’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and to European integration. Indeed, ...

Letters: Don’t take free speech and the right to protest for granted

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

Free and braveCrowds across the nation came for celebrations for the Fourth of July. I wondered if they came for fireworks and entertainment, or came in the love and belief of our country.America has progressively been denigrated by other countries and our own citizens. There are many special interest groups that feel their needs are not being met. These groups have spoken out and protested about race, gender identity and environmental issues, to name a few. They should be grateful that only in America do they have the freedom of speech and right to protest, freedom and rights that many countries deny their citizens.Interestingly enough, if one agrees with some of the special interest groups and proposals, but does not accept all of their proposals, they are labeled, racist, homophobic and anti-environment.Political correctness has become so ingrained in our nation that if you do not support some agendas, you can be fired or your company boycotted. Why can’t opposing views be ...

Trudy Rubin: As we celebrated our independence, Ukrainians fought and died to keep theirs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

As we celebrated the Fourth of July with hot dogs and fireworks, mourners gathered at Kyiv’s famous St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral. They were paying last respects to one of Ukraine’s most noted young writers.Victoria Amelina, 37, was fatally wounded by a Russian missile strike on July 1 on a large, well-known pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. At the time, it was filled with journalists, humanitarian aid workers, local families, and probably some soldiers taking time out from the front lines. How like the Russians to bomb a pizza place.I didn’t know Amelina, but have several Ukrainian friends who did, including one who was at her hospital bedside as she lay in an irreversible coma.I’m writing about her not to guilt-trip those who enjoyed their backyard barbecue this past week, but because she inspired such admiration from her peers. She had paused her successful literary career to investigate and document war crimes in areas liberated by Ukr...

Spreading awareness on Postpartum Depression

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After one Massachusetts mom took her own life just nine days after giving birth to her twins last month, more health professionals want to help spread awareness about postpartum depression and how and when to seek help.Last year in the U.S., postpartum depression affected one in 10 women, according to the CDC., and about 61 percent of working mothers said that it was a challenge to return to work, according to The EPES Program. Now health professionals like Quoida Lauzon, CEO of The EPES Program, want to share more about the available symptoms and treatments. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Lauzon said it’s crucial to do a postpartum screening for every maternity patient and that the patient would first visit their OB-GYN for the initial discussion. From there, they would be referred to a medical professional specializing in postpartum depression.“It’s essential and critical to have that done often t...

Ask Amy: Stylist’s client notices suspicious bruises

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

Dear Amy: I have been going to a hair stylist for three years. She is a delightful young woman with a 4-year-old son and a live-in partner.The first time I met her, she had severe bruises on her face, and explained that she was hit by a ball during a softball game. I believed her.In December last year, she again had facial bruises and said she had tripped over her little boy.At my next appointment, she had facial bruises once more, with another explanation about falling over her son.I have never noticed scrapes or bruises on her hands (had she tried to break her fall). She never goes to the doctor for treatment.I’m worried that something else is going on: domestic violence or alcohol abuse?I have no evidence beyond my suspicions, and wonder if I should ask more? If so, what do I say? If her stories are true, I will embarrass her greatly and that’s not my intention. What would you advise?— Concerned ClientDear Concerned: The next time you are in, you could leave a note, along w...

Video apparently shows Spears inadvertently hit herself in the face in encounter with Wembanyama

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer)LAS VEGAS (AP) — No charges will be filed following a brief investigation of the altercation involving pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and a member of the player’s security team, Las Vegas police said Friday after determining she inadvertently “hit herself in the face.”Spears said she was struck by a security guard as she tried to approach Wembanyama near a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. Wembanyama said a person, who he later found out was Spears, grabbed him from behind.The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Spears had actually struck herself when someone pushed her hand off Wembanyama as she reached up to tap the No. 1 overall pick.In its investigation, which is now over, police determined that the security guard did not willfully or unlawfully use force or violence against Spears. No arrests were made and no one was cited, the report said.In t...

Word Game: July 9, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — BRUTALITY (BRUTALITY: broo-TAL-ih-tee: Cruelty; inhumanity.)Average mark 40 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 54 or more words in BRUTALITY?TODAY’S WORD — BRUTALITY bail bait batty bialy bitt bitty blat blur blurt brail brat bratty bray brut brutal built burial burl burly bury butt rail rattly ratty ritual ruby ruly rutty ultra tabu tail tart tartly taut tautly tilt titular trail trait tray trial tribal truly tuba ably abut airy alit arty atilt lair laity liar yurtTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexu...

Bridge: July 9, 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:08:33 GMT

I could make a case for the way today’s South operated — but it would be a hospital case.South’s rebid of four spades was wrong. The jump to game should show good spades but a lack of controls in the unbid suits. South would suggest playing at game unless North’s hand looked good for slam. South should have jumped to three spades, forcing.Maybe North didn’t trust his partner. He moved on with a five-club cue bid. When South showed his ace of hearts, North signed off, but South bid slam anyway.West led a heart: four, ten, ace. South then drew trumps and let the jack of diamonds ride. East gratefully took his king and cashed his king of hearts.North didn’t like anything about the deal — and said so.“You might as well have bid seven spades. If I’d held solid diamonds and the ace of clubs, I would have bid seven, so you know that making six will depend on a finesse.“You misplayed also,” North went on. “Give yourself...